Striker879

Try the northern road between Bruma and Chorrol (don't have access to the game right now ... maybe the Orange Road). After coming south from Bruma take the first road branching off to the right (west) and you'll find a pond matching your description about 2/3 the way to Chorrol on the north side of the road. Edit: A bit of Wiki research yields this ... just east of Shadow's Rest Cavern.

If I read it correctly while reading through the thread, when you tried the 'delete oblivion.ini' step you had oblivion_default.ini deleted (in the recycle bin) at the same time. Oblivion uses oblivion_default.ini to build a new oblivion.ini with all the default values when you start the game and an oblivion.ini doesn't exist. When you tried starting the game with neither file available it was unable to create a new oblivion.ini with default values. Try the steps Aryeonos outlined after you have deleted the oblivion.ini file but not the oblivion_default.ini file.

That's the beauty of this game modded ... you can have whatever suits your fancy. If it doesn't exist you can learn to use the tools (Construction Set, NifScope and Blender ... all free) and make most anything your heart desires. Get familiar with the structure the game uses for resources by looking at your folders and their contents in Obilivion/Data. You'll see that textures go in Oblivion/Data/textures, meshes to Oblivion/Data/meshes etc. Once you start to get your head around it it's quite easy to install all but the most complicated mods manually (using copy and paste from the right click menu). Glad you got it sorted out ... have fun!!

I don't currently have a machine with Oblivion installed to test the version 1.12 ... have you posted a question in Rivelle's HGEC Body with BBB v1dot12 Comments section? If version 1.12 is like version 1.11 the archive will extract to a pre-made OMOD that you just move to your OBMM omods folder and activate with OBMM. Sorry I can't be of more help right now (I'm working off my semi-lameass laptop ... no Oblivion for me for a while). Edit: Your issue does sound like the type I'd run into when changing body type with version 1.11 ... I'd solve the situation by either copying the lost animations from a backup or re-installing the mod that lost it's animations when it happened to me in the past ... that's why I was glad to see Rivelle's update. Remeber, with animation replacers the mod that is last installed will be the one that wins when more than one mod changes the same animation. Install order matters (but this also makes the fix fairly easy once you get your head around that situation).

I see that Rivelle has updated HGEC Body with BBB to version 1.12. The update offers an option during OMOD install to install without animations. This will come in handy for anyone currently using or planning to use fore's NoMaaM BBB Animation Replacer (another mod on my 'must have' list). When you used version 1.11 and changed bodies (by deactivating the OMOD and then reactivating it) you would have to re-install NoMaaM (some of NoMaaM's animations were overwrittten by version 1.11). Now with version 1.12 you can deactivate the OMOD and reactivate with your new body and no animations ... no more trouble with NoMaaM!! Gotta love it when you can have your cake and eat it too.

Coronerras' Maximum Compatibility Skeleton is a good choice if you don't require a special skeleton for a particular mod (it works well with all the common animation and body type replacers ... it's what I use). I think your missing body is more missing mesh/texture related though. An easy mistake to make when copying and pasting is getting your paste in the wrong folder. If you look at your Data folder in Windows Explorer you shouldn't see a Data folder within your Oblivion/Data (e.g if you see Oblivion/Data/Data/... you've pasted into the wrong folder). Same applies to copying and pasting either the meshes or textures folders (you don't want to see Oblivion/Data/meshes/meshes or Oblivion/Data/textures/textures). If you do have misplaced folders the fix is easy ... right click the misplaced folder and select Cut from the right click menu and then paste into the correct folder. In the example of Oblivion/Data/Data you'd right click and cut the second Data folder (the one inside the Oblivion/Data folder) and then right click the Oblivion folder and select paste from the menu. In the meshes example you'd right click cut the second meshes folder and paste into the Data folder. The rule of thumb is always paste into one level higher than you copied. The nice part of downloading to a separate folder and extracting into that same folder is you can examine the files a mod includes and the folder structure. I like to see what files a mod will potentially overwrite before I copy into my game installation (a more common case in animation replacers or armor/clothing replacers once you have already installed a few previously). The downside is you need to pay attention to where you are pasting into in your Oblivion install. If hard drive space isn't an issue you'll also have backups of your extracted downloads, if you need to recover from an overwrite down the road. One last note about copy and paste. You'll get a warning about overwritting folders ... this is normal and it's OK to allow the overwrite (especially after you've checked out the files previously). None of your existing folders and contents will be lost UNLESS the files have the same name AND the same folder structure. Example ... Oblivion/Data/meshes/armor/cuirass.nif will not overwrite Oblivion/Data/meshes/armor/mymod/cuirass.nif but Oblivion/Data/meshes/armor/mymod/cuirass.nif obviously would.

The BBB Designer Body Spell mod adds two lesser power type spells, one to change other character's body type and one to change the player body type. To expand on MarkinMKUK's explanation above, all characters are displayed via a combination of a skeleton (for the animations to work), a mesh (to add a shape to the skeleton) and a texture (to give the mesh skin and colour). When naked that is what the HGEC body displays. If you add a Better Bouncing Boobs (BBB) skeleton to the standard HGEC body then the naked character will have animated breasts when naked. With the standard skeleton you get the same body shape without the bounce. In Obilivion when you put clothes or armor on a character the clothing replaces the covered parts of the body. The clothing replaces both meshes and textures on the affected body area. If the body uses textures that are not the same as the clothes or armor you will end up displaying a mixture of textures, often with undesirable side-effects (hands or feet of the wrong colour for example). If the clothing or armor is designed for a different body size, let's say B-cup and your installed default is H-cup, it will display a B-cup. That is why you should stick to using clothing and armor of the same type as the body you're using ... which leads me to one of the other cool aspect of BBB Designer Body Spell. If you see some cool armor or clothing designed for another body type (say a Growlfs Hot Body type) you can use the spell on yourself or the other NPC to change them to a compatible body for those clothes and get around the miss matched texture problem. If you stick to just using your installed HGEC compatible clothing and armor, and you keep clothes on all your characters and NPCs the BBB Designer Body Spell doesn't offer much that you can't achieve by just dressing everyone in different sized clothing and armor. It's big benefit comes from mixing body types (dressed or naked). As an added note, mixing non-BBBed clothing and armor with BBBed stuff causes no problems in the game if you use a BBB enabled skeleton. The bouncy bits won't work on the non-BBBed clothes obviously, but everything else displays as intended.

Rivelle's OMOD linked above allows you to select body options when you activate the OMOD (it comes with a script for that). As LFact points out, you can only have one body as your default ... if you select H-cup and LL bottom all female characters will be H-cup LL bottom (your's if you play a female and all female NPCs). That's the beauty of electrro's BBB Designer Body Spell. Cast the spell on an NPC and then select what body you want her to have. If you play a female cast the Set Body Self version of the spell and pick out a body that differs from the default (they're lesser powers so any level character can cast them).

Though there is no mention of it causing a problem on the UESP Wiki page for Nilphas Omellian, I wonder if you've tried talking to him during his supper (8 pm to 10 pm)?

An option if you're having trouble setting up your own OMOD is to download a pre-made OMOD. I personally use Rivelle's HGEC Body with BBB v1dot11 to set my games default body (most common body sizes available to chose from) and then use electrro's BBB Designer body spell to add variety to the game. Rivelle's mod comes as an OMOD and electrro's is as simple as extracting the download to a temporary folder using 7-zip, right clicking the Data folder in the extracted archive and select copy, and then right click your Oblivion folder and select paste (always paste into one folder level higher than you copy).

If you turned the Honorblade of Chorrol over to Laythe Wavrick you will no longer be able to use Fathis Ules as a fence (the Unofficial Oblivion patch returns him to the IC and makes him available as a fence again). If installing the UOP doesn't solve your problem you could advance Independent Thievery using the console (opened using the tilde (~) key). The console command "setstage TGStolenGoods 120" (without the quotes) completes Independent Thievery. You can use "getstage TGStolenGoods" (again without the quotes) to get your current stage in Independent Thievery and then try using "setstage TGStolenGoods XXX" (with your current stage plus 10 instead of XXX ... eg. if your current stage is 70 then try setstage TGStolenGoods 80) if you want to insure you don't have trouble getting your next assignments in the Thieves Guild (see the first listed bug in the Bugs section of the UESP Walkthrough for the Thieves Guild for more detail).

If you're up for more chatter try Idles Dialogs English Version. I wouldn't play without it now (and helps take away the pain of more mudcrabs/having ears etc.).

Ahhh the eternal question ... do I use often relied on skills for major skills (and level-up because I use them) or use seldom used skills for my majors (more control over leveling). On the one hand you get the skill bonuses for major skills on skills you need, but when you level the bad guys level too, until level 22 or 25 or something you're no further ahead (well depending on the utility you get from those minor skills you've developed as well). On the other hand, if you can tough out the first few levels until your useful skills get buffed a bit the second method offers more control around leveling. My second character (Dark Elf with double Warrior) has provided a good lesson for me on the first situation (first was an aborted take all the defaults Imperial ... not a pretty sight). I just started a new guy using the second option. It does make the game play differently. In my opinion encumbrance is going to hang over your head no matter how high you get your strength. Every time I increase it I use up my gain in no time and I'm working around the too much to carry syndrome. I closed a bunch of gates and used the save before grabbing the Sigil stone method of getting feather and strength stones, enchanted everything I can with strength and feather and I still get over-encumbered. I use the various chests spread around that don't respawn as in-between houses storage. All part of what makes the game re-playable. Here's a couple of links on the attributes vs skills vs leveling situation. As you'll see, there's no perfect solution, it's a matter of finding the compromise that works best for you. Oblivion: Leveling Oblivion: Efficient Leveling Oblivion Character Planner

Here's a link to bben46's Revert to Vanilla that may be of some help.

The Mages Guild questline is full of inconsistencies and gotchas. I can't imagine getting through it successfully without using the UESP Wiki walkthroughs (at the very least for the Bugs section on each walkthrough).

Just as a wrap-up, considering the quest is fait accompli, but when you talked to her did you specifically say you were a merchant (that is the trigger for the quest)?

When you see references to 'the vanilla game' what it means is an unmodded Oblivion install. Vanilla resources are the original resources (armor clothing etc) unmodified in any way. As you're seeking information here I'm guessing your Oblivion install isn't going to be 'vanilla' much longer. Welcome to the club (and don't be shy about asking questions).

This bug is caused by not speaking to Caminalda and telling her you are a merchant before sleeping at the Inn. Here's a couple of UESP Walkthrough excerpts (emphasis added):

The thing to look for when troubleshooting your copy and paste is whether or not the directory structure of your downloaded and extracted archive matches what you see after your copy/paste. The most common mistake, copying the archive Data folder and pasting into the Oblivion Data folder will show up as a Data folder inside your game's Data folder. Always paste into one level higher than you copy. If you copy Data, paste into the Oblivion folder. If you copy meshes or Textures paste into Data.

When you look in the game's Data folder do you see another folder named Data? A common mistake when copying and pasting is to copy Data and then paste into Data in the game's directory. This places your pasted Data inside the game's Data (which won't work). The rule of thumb when copying and pasting folders is alway paste into one level higher than you copied. If you copied Data then you paste into Oblivion ... if you copied meshes or Textures then you copy into Data.

No not autonomously, but once you're Arch Mage and get one as a follower. Perhaps as a follower they don't need a pathgrid ... I'm not currently able to check that area in the CS, but they will follow you through that gate.

The mage apprentices go through those gates with no difficulty.

Here's an excerpt from Koroush Ghazi's Oblivion Tweak Guide that explains what the bFullBrightLighting ini entry is for:

Windows performs a system restore automatically under certain circumstances, for example when you install Windows updates (which may very well be done automatically on your machine as well). As HeyYou mentions above, the Recycle Bin doesn't actually reduce your HD usage until you empty it ... it just flags those files as deleted, doesn't free up the space until you dump the trash.